


Half of my heart is in Teavana

by thenotsogingerale



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Liam Dunbar, Gay, I mean, M/M, Out of Character, Theo’s POV, i can only say that it’s really, idk what other tags to add, kinda college au too but it’s only mentioned, you already knew that I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 22:51:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12994248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenotsogingerale/pseuds/thenotsogingerale
Summary: in which Theo is a college freshman with a gigantic crush on the barista of an expensive café called Liam and he literally spends all of his money on coffee just to see him every dayor the one that nobody asked for but here it is anyways





	Half of my heart is in Teavana

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this to be significantly longer, but honestly, I'm happy with what I've given birth to. Took me a while to write it and I struggled with it a lot, I wrote it in Theo's POV, but I might rewrite it in Liam's POV just because, also the end might be disappointing and I'm sorry for that but I had zero ideas aight.
> 
> EDIT: I received a few comments asking for a second chapter and I've taken that into consideration, cause why not; if you're reading this and want a second chapter, please follow my Tumblr blog (the username is the same I use here, thenotsogingerale) for eventual updates and stuff

University courses had already started for a couple months, and Theo’s need of caffeine was higher than ever, only after less than ten weeks, he was already tired and fed up and drank so much coffee that it was most probably unhealthy for a single human being.

Well, he actually needed more than just a simple hot beverage. Mainly, he needed the two ice blue eyes that stopped looking at whatever they were looking at just to welcome him every time he went though the café’s door. He needed the rosy lips that would always part in the sweetest smile every time he got closer to the counter. And he needed that voice, that pleasant and gentle voice, that announced every time the same amount of money.

That café wasn’t even cheap, it was a bit expensive and a single cup of coffee costed way too much for a college student, and then it wasn't even near his apartment, there were like seven Starbucks on the way from his building to the campus.

But he’d do all those blocks every morning, and he’d spend all that money that he didn’t even own, just for the sake of seeing him again, and again, and again. Theo wasn’t even religious, but the coffee guy’s face was enough of a proof to him that something above humans really existed.

It was like a drug addiction, every time he got out of the café, he would think “this was the last time, I can’t afford any of this anymore, tomorrow I’m not coming back”, but when the following day came, he just couldn’t help himself, as soon he got into his car to get to the university campus he automatically drove to the café first. He just couldn’t stop it, his whole body ached to go admire that enchanting smile and those electric eyes.

And also, every day he tried to gather enough courage and talk to him, but, every time he found himself in front of the counter, he couldn’t feel the ground under his feet anymore, and every last shred of bravery and confidence disappeared, and got replaced by nervousness. He was good at hiding it, but that didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t talk to him to save his life.

One day, though, quickly became the best day of Theo’s life until then, probably. Every morning he would tell the pretty boy what he wanted, as you usually do when you go in a café, because Theo definitely did not expect anyone to remember him, that was like the last thing he’d expect from someone, especially the cute barista of an expensive café. Back to the best day of Theo’s life, he went though the door and as he approached the counter he was going to tell his order, but as soon as the boy saw him he talked before Theo could even open his mouth and asked him “Let me guess, americano?”

Theo’s heart skipped a beat as soon as he heard the sentence, “yeah” he tried to look as chill as possible, even though he probably fainted ten times on the inside already, “you remember it?” dumbest question ever, of course he remembered it, it’s pretty clear, dumbass.

“Well, you order it every single day, so I guess it’s pretty predictable” the other answered, while making Theo’s coffee, with a soft laugh that later stayed stuck in Theo’s head and took him the whole day to stop thinking about. Also that was a conversation at that point and Theo had never had a proper conversation with him, so obviously would prefer death over the mere thought of actually having to talk to him.

“I guess you’re right”, what? Dumbest response ever, make up for it, make up for it, make up for it. “I’m Theo, by the way” he added after a brief moment of silence, and he couldn’t believe his own words, how? How did he find the courage to introduce himself? He had no idea what the answer was, but he was glad he said it because so he got to know the pretty boy’s name.

“I’m Liam” he replied with a smirk that made Theo’s whole heart melt. In the meanwhile Liam had poured the coffee into a paper cup, Theo paid and took the cup, then turned one of his lip’s corners up and looked at Liam, who asked “see you tomorrow?”.

“See you tomorrow” Theo replied and then left the place with his heart beating so fast he was probably risking an heart attack, but it was worth it, because he knew his name. “Liam” he softly echoed as he sunk in his car’s seat with a dreaming look and an amazed smile on his face.

The following day it went even better, Theo unconsciously decided to wear his university’s hoodie and only realised he was wearing it when, as soon as he went through the café door, Liam asked “so, Stanford, mh?”, and he would’ve captured immediately Theo’s attention if he didn’t have it already.

“Yeah, biophysics and stuff” Theo answered, and it felt so weirdly easy to say, as if he hadn’t dreamed about talking to Liam for weeks and weeks.

“You say that like it’s no big deal” Liam replied right after starting to prepare Theo’s coffee, “I really want to go, but tuition alone makes me want to sell both of my kidneys, and maybe an eye” he chuckled with the most mesmerising laughter Theo had ever heard in his entire life.

“You’re telling me, I had to work for two years to get enough so I could pay tuition and move here” Theo pursed his lips, turned up a corner and looked at him as to say ‘I know it’s not easy, but you can do that’.

“You’re not from here?” Liam asked with a raised eyebrow, pouring the hot beverage into a paper cup, then quickly added “of course you’re not from here, I would’ve seen you around, where are you from?” before Theo could say anything.

“Riverside, I came here this summer, you’ve always lived here?” Theo gave a brief look down on the cup Liam was holding in his hands, he really didn’t want to leave, but he knew he was going to be late to the first course if he stayed there for too long.

“Mh-mh, I could never leave Santa Clara” Liam’s lips curled in a sweet smile while handing Theo his cup, who then paid his coffee smiling back.

Theo held his cup thighs, hating every step he was taking towards the door, “Got class, see you tomorrow”

“See you, have fun in class” Liam replied jokingly, and Theo responded with a “I definitely will”

And the days went by, coffee after coffee, every day Theo would get to know a little bit of Liam, one day he found out he was just one year younger than him, the next day he discovered he loved greek history, another day Liam told him about his best friend and how he left with his boyfriend to go to college on the other side of the country, “he’s gay, no big deal” he said at some point, and Theo was dying to ask him ‘are you?’, but insecurities took over and he was too far deep in. What if Liam said ‘no’? What would’ve happened? Too many uncertainties.

He had to say something at some point though, he couldn’t just keep avoiding the huge crush he had on the cute barista working for a random café, he had to ask him out, or at least find out if he was into him or not. Hell, he didn’t even know if he was straight or not.

The crush kept growing and growing, and Theo had no idea whether it was a good or a bad thing, he just knew that he couldn’t help but let his heartbeat get faster and his chest get filled with a burning yet sweet and soft feeling every time he saw Liam. He didn’t even know why, probably it was his voice, always so calm and kind, or the way he lowered his tone sometimes as if he was talking about a forbidden subject, or maybe it was his hands, veins struggling to be seen under his skin, and the way he passed his hands though his hair.

Then, several times (12, they were 12 times, Theo kept track of them) Liam even offered to pay for Theo’s coffee, and even though he kept saying that he really didn’t have to do that, Liam insisted and his voice was so soft that Theo just had to let him do that.

A few months after the first time they talked Liam welcomed him with the brightest smile ever, Theo, feeling his whole body melt as soon as he saw him, immediately said “good news?”

“I got accepted into Stanford, and right now I’m really near to having enough money to actually go there” Liam replied excited, he had already started to make Theo’s coffee.

“Really? That’s great” Theo said smirking, sincerely happy for the good news.

And it felt so weirdly relieving to him, that Liam would be attending his same university, he only realised at that moment that he’d hoped for him to get accepted so that he would have seen him more often the whole time.

“And since you’re literally the only person I know that goes there too, I guess I’ll have to stick with you most of the time” Liam added after a few seconds of silence, Theo had to try so hard not to smile, not only for what he said, but for the way he said it. He didn’t sound annoyed by it, not even a little bit, his tone was positive, almost as if he had wished for that to happen, but probably it was just Theo’s imagination.

“I definitely won’t complain about that” Theo said jokingly, even though he wasn’t joking at all.

As you, reader, found out before, the day that Theo first talked to Liam was the best day of his life, but only until then.

Because the real best day of Theo’s life was the day when he had built up a whole fort of bravery, and as he passed through the door, he looked directly at Liam, got closer to the counter, bit his own inner cheek and:

“Do you want to go out, one day?” they both asked at the same time.


End file.
